Project funding

This project is funded by the Max Planck Society.

Origins of Dairying in Ancient Central Asia Project

What can calcified dental plaque tell us about the origins of dairying and adaptations for adult lactase persistence? Through proteomic analysis of human calculus deposits we can asses the presence/absence of milk proteins, determining which species contributed to the nutritional diversity of Central Asian populations in antiquity. Furthermore, aDNA studies can uncover whether these populations had specific adaptations for retaining the ability to digest lactose after childhood.

Goats are an important source of milk, meat, and fiber in marginal environments. After a full day of grazing, a local herder drives his goats into the walled city of Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Goats are an important source of milk, meat, and fiber in marginal environments. After a full day of grazing, a local herder drives his goats into the walled city of Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, Nepal.

Photo credit: Christina Warinner

Photo credit: Christina Warinner

The consumption of dairy in prehistoric Central Asian societies profoundly affected steppe populations. In addition to nutritional benefits, milk may have also provided an essential uncontaminated water source for pastoralists in marginal environments. Recent research has demonstrated the interconnectedness of Asia, Africa, the Near East, and Europe through the transmission of ideas and technology across Eurasia, across what would become the Silk Road, including the spread of genes and methods for milk production.

Dairy cattle in Mongolia. Ruminant dairying has long been an important component of central Asian subsistence.

Dairy cattle in Mongolia. Ruminant dairying has long been an important component of central Asian subsistence.

Photo Credit: Shevan Wilkin

Photo Credit: Shevan Wilkin

South Asian and European populations share the same genetic adaptation for lactose digestion, but whether this diffused through Eurasia remains unclear. Using proteomic, isotopic, and genomic analyses, this project will assess the direct consumption of milk through time in prehistoric Central Asian populations, such as groups inhabiting Mongolia and Turkmenistan, to determine what types of species-specific diary were produced, and the frequency and forms of lactase persistent genotypes and phenotypes.